A dug-up road near Hyderabad’s Nallakunta-Vidyanagar Vegetable Market has remained incomplete for more than two months, with water-filled potholes and construction debris disrupting commuters and reducing business for vendors.
The affected stretch extends for more than 300 metres and was excavated for sewerage line work. Although the sewerage work has been completed, the road has not been re-laid, leaving an uneven surface that residents say is difficult and risky to cross, particularly for elderly people.
The market, established in 1973, serves residents of Nallakunta, Vidyanagar, Adikmet, Osmania University, Shivam Road and DD Colony. It sells vegetables, fruits, groceries and meat, but the damaged access road has reduced the flow of shoppers and vehicles.
A resident of Karthik Residency in Nallakunta told Telangana Today that commuters had expected the road to be restored after the excavation. The resident said it now takes around five to seven minutes to cross the stretch even on a two-wheeler. The road had been in poor condition even before the sewerage work, with an uneven surface that was difficult to navigate.
Recent rains worsened the conditions, turning the road slippery and filling potholes with water. Residents said cab and auto-rickshaw drivers have refused to pick up or drop passengers on the stretch because of the road’s condition. One resident of Nallakunta Street 14 said passengers had been forced to get down some distance away and walk home.
The disruption has also affected businesses operating along the market road. Vegetable and fruit vendors and shop owners said customers were no longer visiting in the same numbers. Some fruit sellers have moved their push carts to Vidyanagar Main Road, where they hope to reach more customers.
Irfan, a fruit vendor, told Telangana Today that customer visits and sales had dropped considerably. The report did not include a response from the civic or sewerage authorities on the reasons for the delay or a scheduled date for completing the road restoration.
